Case Study: Rugged Handhelds Automate Inspection

By Brian Albright, Integrated Solutions magazine

American Electric Power (AEP) provides electricity to customers in 11 states. The Ohio-based utility has nearly a dozen construction projects underway at any given time, encompassing everything from new plant construction to equipment upgrades.

To ensure each project is proceeding according to AEP's quality standards, construction coordinators conduct inspections at each job site using a prepared checklist to examine a variety of attributes. Mike Godber, quality control supervisor at AEP, is responsible for ensuring all inspections are conducted and properly documented. Managing that process manually often took him away from his other duties, and extended his time on the road visiting job sites. As coordinators completed inspections, they filled out paper forms which were then kept on-site. "The only way I could see they were performing the inspections was to travel to the site and look at paperwork," Godber says.